CW TV INTERVIEW WITH BUOY WEAR'S CO-FOUNDER

Arizona Native John Ruffing has spent the last four years of his life on the water, kite-surfing and traveling throughout Asia, Europe, and South America. At many destinations, Ruffing, who’s from Ahwatukee, left little gifts for the oceans and lakes he visited. "Over the four years, I’ve lost about a dozen hats. Some of my favorite hats have been eaten by the water gods," said Ruffing. After losing so many hats, Ruffing was "going nuts," and with all his possessions on his back, he didn't have the luxury to schlepp along dozens of replacement hats. Ruffing decided then he would create a hat that wouldn't sink. "I was sick of losing hats and I wanted to make a hat that I would never lose," said Ruffing. Three years ago, the first prototype for the "floating hat" was made from kid's play foam. He would test the hats in his father's pool. "He’s in my swimming pool in a wetsuit and there’s a bunch of hats floating around the pool," Hugh Ruffing laughed. It wasn't long before Ruffing found success. The "Buoy Hat" is its name and it floats on water, as well as dries within minutes. To this day, Ruffing claims he hasn't lost a hat since creating it.Ruffing, who spends part of his year teaching kite-surfing in Mexico, wasn't shy to put the Buoy Hat to the test against a your Phoenix CW branded hat in the treacherous (not very) waters surrounding our building. But, with multiple tests and hat-dunking, the your Phoenix CW hat sunk time and time again, while the Buoy Hat stayed afloat and, as previously mentioned, dried much quicker than its competitor. Since the invention of the Buoy Hat, Ruffing has also created floating sunglasses and a floating drink koozie because, who wants to lose their beer and hat on the same day?